It's so close you can almost imagine the roar he will get from the Stars' crowd when his name is announced. Pete DeBoer said Tyler Seguin is "super close" to taking contact during practice. That means his return to the lineup is right around the corner. After watching the Stars collapse like they did the last three games, having Seguin in the lineup could help out the Stars. However, does it give the Stars good enough odds to advance to the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs?
The Stars need to improve their defense to make it to the second round of the playoffs. The last three games have shown the Stars could have a first-round exit from the playoffs. The Colorado Avalanche or the Minnesota Wild would love to take on the team that showed up against the Canucks last night. However, the Stars are close to getting Miro Heiskanen and Seguin back. However, Heiskanen might need more time, so he might play later in the first round if the Stars make it that far.
Seguin was in the middle of a good season before his hip surgery. He had nine goals and eleven assists before leaving the lineup. Based on how he played with Matt Duchene and Mason Marchment, Seguin was well on his way to playing much earlier in his career season with the Stars. The Stars could have clinched their playoff spot much earlier if Seguin remained healthy. Even though Rantanen wouldn't have ended up a Dallas Star, Seguin could have provided a lot of goals this year.
Now, does Seguin's presence in the lineup give the Stars much better odds of advancing to the second round of the playoffs? The answer to that question is not much based on how the defense has played over the last three games in the third period. Seguin would provide some much-needed veteran presence in the lineup, but I don't know if he would produce offense like before his surgery. Heiskanen's return could provide a much-needed boost for the Stars moving on to the second round
In conclusion, Seguin's return to the lineup would be nice heading into game one of the Stanley Cup Finals, but it wouldn't move the needle as much. Now, if Heiskanen decided to surprise the fanbase for game one, it could increase the odds of the Stars moving on to the second round. Both players would be a welcome addition after the last three games the Stars played. However, Seguin's return doesn't mean much if the Stars' defense continues to play the way it is right now.